Asthma Symptoms Among Adolescents Who Attend Public Schools That Are Located Near Confined Swine Feeding Operations

Little is known about the health effects of living in close proximity to industrial swine operations. We assessed the relationship between estimated exposure to airborne effluent from confined swine feeding operations and asthma symptoms among adolescents who were aged 12 to 14 years

Expanded syringe exchange programs and reduced HIV infection among new injection drug users in Tallinn, Estonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Estonia has experienced an HIV epidemic among intravenous drug users (IDUs) with the highest per capita HIV prevalence in Eastern Europe. We assessed the effects of expanded syringe exchange programs (SEP) in the capital city, Tallinn, which has an estimated 10,000 IDUs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>SEP implementation was monitored with data from the Estonian National Institute for Health Development. Respondent driven sampling (RDS) interview surveys with HIV testing were conducted in Tallinn in 2005, 2007 and 2009 (involving 350, 350 and 327 IDUs respectively). HIV incidence among new injectors (those injecting for < = 3 years) was estimated by assuming (1) new injectors were HIV seronegative when they began injecting, and (2) HIV infection occurred at the midpoint between first injection and time of interview.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SEP increased from 230,000 syringes exchanged in 2005 to 440,000 in 2007 and 770,000 in 2009. In all three surveys, IDUs were predominantly male (80%), ethnic Russians (>80%), and young adults (mean ages 24 to 27 years). The proportion of new injectors decreased significantly over the years (from 21% in 2005 to 12% in 2009, p = 0.005). HIV prevalence among all respondents stabilized at slightly over 50% (54% in 2005, 55% in 2007, 51% in 2009), and decreased among new injectors (34% in 2005, 16% in 2009, p = 0.046). Estimated HIV incidence among new injectors decreased significantly from 18/100 person-years in 2005 and 21/100 person-years in 2007 to 9/100 person-years in 2009 (p = 0.026).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In Estonia, a transitional country, a decrease in the HIV prevalence among new injectors and in the numbers of people initiating injection drug use coincided with implementation of large-scale SEPs. Further reductions in HIV transmission among IDUs are still required. Provision of 70 or more syringes per IDU per year may be needed before significant reductions in HIV incidence occur.</p

Utjecaj izloženosti mješavini organskih otapala na krvni tlak nepušačica koje rade u farmaceutskoj tvrtki

Some studies suggest that exposure to industrial solvents can affect blood pressure. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of organic solvents on blood pressure in women working in a pharmaceutical company in Iran. Four hundred and thirty-three women were included in the study. Women working in packing units (group 1) were not exposed to the mixture of organic solvents, women in new laboratory units (group 2) were exposed to the mixture within the permitted range and women working in old laboratory units (group 3) were exposed to the mixture above the permitted limit. We compared systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP & DBP) and prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension among groups. The results revealed a signifi cant difference in SBP and pre-hypertension (p<0.001) and hypertension (p<0.05) prevalence between the exposed and the control group, but DBP did not differ signifi cantly. Logistic regression analysis showed a signifi cant association between hypertension and exposure to mixed solvents. Odds ratio for hypertension in the group 2 and group 3 (exposed) workers was 2.36 and 3, respectively, compared to controls. Our results suggest that exposure to a mixture of organic solvents may increase SBP and hypertension and pre-hypertension prevalence in drug manufacture workers. Therefore, more attention should be paid to workers that work in such settings by periodically measuring blood pressure and implementing accurate and comprehensive programs to reduce exposure to organic solvents.smo istraživanju nastojali ispitati utjecaj mješavine organskih otapala na krvni tlak žena koje rade u farmaceutskoj tvrtki u Iranu. Četiristo trideset i tri žene bile su uključene u istraživanje. Žene koje rade u pakirnicama (G1) nisu bile izložene mješavini organskih otapala, žene koje rade u novim laboratorijskim jedinicima (G2) bile su izložene dozvoljenoj granici mješavine, a žene u starim laboratorijskim jedinicama (G3) bile su izložene količini mješavine koja je viša od dozvoljene granične vrijednosti. Usporedili smo sistolički i dijastolički krvni tlak (eng. systolic blood pressure, krat. SBP i eng. diastolic blood pressure, krat. DBP) i prevalenciju hipertenzije i prehipertenzije između navedenih skupina. Otkrili smo značajnu razliku u vrijednostima SBP-a i prevalencije prehipertenzije (p<0,001) i (p<0,05) hipertenzije između skupina G2 i G3, te kontrolne skupine (G1), ali se vrijednosti za DBP nisu značajno razlikovale. Logistička regresijska analiza pokazala je značajnu poveznicu između hipertenzije i izlaganja mješavini otapala. U usporedbi s radnicama koje nisu bile izložene mješavini, omjer izgleda za nastanak hipertenzije u skupini G2 iznosio je 2,36, a u skupini G3 3. Naši rezultati pokazuju da izlaganje mješavini organskih otapala može povisiti vrijednost SBP-a i prevalencije hipertenzije i prehipertenzije kod radnika koji rade u proizvodnji lijekova. Stoga je potrebno posvetiti veću pozornost osobama koje rade u takvim okruženjima, a mjere koje bi valjalo poduzimati uključuju redovito mjerenje krvnog tlaka i provedbu preciznih i sveobuhvatnih programa za smanjenje izlaganja organskim otapalima